When and why did you start training for fighting? When I was in a high school, MMA became very popular in Japan so I wanted to try it after I was done with my school sports. What ranks and titles have you held? I won a rookie of the year award in Shooto back in 2005, and last year, I won the Cage Force bantamweight tournament. Do you have any heroes? I respect Chiyonofuji, one of the best grand champions (Yokozuna) in the history of sumo. What is your favorite technique? Striking, especially punches. What does it mean for you to fight in the WEC? It’s like, if this is professional baseball, going up to play in the major leagues. Right now I think WEC is the best promotion in the world for the bantamweight fighters. Did you go to college and if so what degree did you earn? I just got a master's degree in electrical engineering. What was your job before you started fighting? I was in college, then graduate school while I was fighting in Shooto and Cage Force shows, so I only held a part time jobs working at the gas station.
Most memorable professional fight? I would have to say the fight against Ryota Matsune. It was right after I won the rookie of the year award, and back then Matusne was considered as one of the best in the world at 60 kg & Under, so it was a meaningful fight in the sense that I got to measure myself against the rest of the world. This fight gave me confidence that I can fight professionally. What was your most challenging professional fight? It was not necessary challenging but it was difficult to deal with a loss - the fight vs. Kenji Osawa. I was over confident in that fight. I won, like, eight straight fights since my pro debut, won a rookie award, so I was not basically looking down on the opponent. So I learned a lot from that loss. Did you compete in any other sport at college or professional level? Since the first grade till all the way to end of high school I was dedicated to the sport of Kendo, Japanese fencing. And my team won the state (prefecture) championship. I also did play baseball in junior high school. Who were your training partners for this fight? I sparred a lot with current Shooto champion Shinichi BJ Kojima, Katsumura, and Tomohiko Hori who is scheduled to challenge for Masakazu Imanari's DEEP title. Did you put more emphasis towards a fighting style or adjust your training to prepare for your opponent? Basically I concentrate more on improving my skill. But when it gets closer to the fight I began thinking about my opponent a lot. What, other than WINNING, are you using for motivation for the fight? First and foremost I like the competition of Mixed Martial Arts, and I also like to provide a sensation to the fans. And of course, I want to make money! What is your favorite thing about this sport? MMA has all the elements of fight disciplines. So I think in reality MMA is the best out of any combat sports. How long do you see yourself staying in this sport? I actually want to continue as long as my body is saying OK.
